The Bat Cave

I’m blogging today! I’ll be working on my preamble as the game is getting off the ground. That will be a work in progress that I will be updating as I’m playing.

Preamble: I was on the fence about playing poker yesterday and after spending numerous hours on the phone with both Dish and Century Link and coming to the conclusion that I was never going to get internet through either of them, I did something I never thought I’d do again: I called Comcast. And then I signed up with them. I really feel like I just sold my soul to the devil, but they offered me high speed internet for just over $40 a month and I couldn’t pass it up.

And guess what? I got my internet activated within hours of signing up with them. Weird. All I had to do was drive ten minutes and grab my new router/modem and then hook it up myself.

And I’m back! I finally caught up on all my accounting, bills, email, and other correspondence. Plus today I started working on my Blog Nicknames again, so go ahead and start checking those out regularly.

However, after spending so much time trying to get internet at my house and ramping up my tilt factor again (maybe that’s why my fuse was so short last weekend?), I decided to take the night off. I didn’t actually have the internet up and running until after the PLO game started anyway.

And guess what happened about an hour after I finally had internet coursing through the coaxial veins of my home? Our power went out.

Unreal.

I did wind up getting organized last night and this morning this beast arrived, so I spent my day putting it together:

As I was assembling it, guess what I saw park in front of our house? A Century Link van! Sure enough, I walked outside and caught their man lurking about our cable box.

Uh, no, dude. Get the fuck outta here.

That is some serious comedy. I hate Comcast beyond belief, but our internet is faster and cheaper – at least for the next year – so I guess it all worked out.

This is also serious comedy:

4444? Should I be concerned about that? Are my descendants 2000 years from now still going to be held hostage to my bill from Dish Network?

What a joke of a company. They are all jokes. I’m sure Comcast will be pissing me off soon enough.

That catches me up to this game start. I was going to work on my 2018 results post today and hopefully post it, but I spent my entire day putting that couch together. Not sure when I will have time to write that post because this weekend our top priority is cleaning our old house and getting it in shape to put on the market.

I did, however, have time to write a little review for Bumblebee (2018) while I was waiting for the delivery guys this morning, so check that out if you want.

Starting Lineup: Radio Mike, Chief Wiggum, Part-Time, 15/30 reg, Hewey, random, big game reg, Black Turtle (self-ordained)

Amazingly, the list of 21 names turned out to be a full game with no list. Wth.

This lineup is okay, but definitely lacking in the action department. I give it a C-.

4:44 PM: I have been super active. The game is on the tighter side so I have been raising like a maniac. I’ve had some decent hands: QTo, 98o, KTo, QThh, JTcc, and JJ twice.

Most of those hands have been raise and take its or c-bet flop and take it, but I made a flush with the JT of clubs on the river against a one card straight and my most interesting hand was this one:

Open JJ, Black Turtle 3-bets, Wiggum calls on the button, and I cap it.

Flop is J9x rainbow and Black Turtle and I take turns raising each other until it’s capped, but we are unable to shake the hitchhiker.

Turn is an 8 and they both just call my bet.

River is a very ugly queen, so I check and Black Turtle starts rambling about “you were no good the whole way but you didn’t know it and now we’re both beat…” and then he bets the river… (Wtf… ?). Wiggum raises it, I fold and Black Turtle shows AA and folds also.

Ugh.

5:22 PM: Cards have been in the air for about an hour now and I’ve had JJ four times and QQ once. Plus I’ve been raising a lot of other hands. I’d guess I’ve raised over 40% of the hands dealt so far. It’s been pretty insane.

I might be drawing live for the Coast-to-Coast Challenge. I won all my early hands and I think I still had sugar after Chief Wiggum clearly rivered a straight against my set of jacks. I guess since I don’t know for sure it wouldn’t really count, but I’m well above sea level now.

I’ve had some unexciting boards for some of my jacks and queens, where I’ve had to turn my hands into bluff catchers rather than capitalize on what looks like a super aggressive and wide image. I managed to get two streets of value (by check-calling) with JJ on a king high board and QQ on an ace high board.

I did have an interesting spot where I opened the 76 of clubs from the hijack and Part-Time 3-bet from the big blind.

I call $25 (Overs, 8 of 9 players are playing $25/$50) on a 972 flop and when he still bets a king on the fourth street, I decide to turn my hand into a bluff by making it $100. Part-Time has a tendency to bet too much, both as bluffs and as value/protection bets, so when I raise here, he will fold hands with decent equity like AQ and maybe even hands as strong as TT up to QQ. Sure enough, he does fold to my raise.

A list is starting to accumulate for this game. It’s six deep now.

6:45 PM: Get a cheap flop with Q9o from the small blind and it checks around on K64.

Turn is a 9 and I bet-call when Black Turtle raises me from the big blind. It’s pretty weird for him to check the flop with a king, so I’m looking this one up.

River pairs the 4 and I check-call and lose to A9.

On the bright side, I no longer have to wonder if I’m in line to complete the Coast-to-Coast Challenge as I now have less chips than I started with.

7:47 PM: Bulletproof and Hit&Run in the game now. Wiggum, Black Turtle, and the random dude are gone now.

Multiple limpers in front of me, I raise with 99 from late position, next guy 3-bets, one of the blinds caps and six of us are in for four bets.

Flop is K65 with two clubs and it checks to me second-to-last to act. I think betting is correct here. I don’t want to give a free card and if I get raised by the button that’s not so bad either. It will help limit the field and I definitely want people out of this pot. I have the 9 of clubs in my hand and backdoor straight possibilities so I think I’m strong enough to bet-call here.

That is what happens. I bet, the button raises, and everyone else folds.

Turn is a 7, giving me additional equity and plenty of reason to continue. I check-call again and I’m leaning towards folding brick rivers because I’m sensing strength.

The river brings in my straight with an 8. My opponent is on the nittier side. Realistically, he should be betting hands like KQ+ here and going for value, but I don’t trust him to bet, so I try to lead out but fumble my chips and he snap-calls without my bet in the pot yet.

I eventually get my chips out there and he leaves his in for the call, but the weird sequencing prompts the player on my right to ask, “did you just check-call the river?” and I explain what happened, but the player I beat in the pot takes massive exception to the question for some reason and starts berating the guy on my right, saying it’s “a stupid question.” He’s obviously pissed about losing the pot and taking it out on a bystander, not letting it go to the point where the guy on my right is like “you’re right. I’m stupid. Not sure what you want me to do about it. I was born this way.”

Lady Gaga would be proud.

9:18 PM: I have been distracted by food and now my wife is sitting behind me waiting to play 4/8 on a very deep list. Also, I haven’t had any notable spots in the last 90 minutes.

The game is bad by Palace standards right now. Mighty Mouse has joined us and we really only have one legit producer at the moment. There are only three names on the list and none of them are all that exciting either.

Yawn.

9:56 PM: Huey limps, guy on my right raises, I 3-bet with AA, Hit&Run caps from the big, and Huey goes from one bet to four like he doesn’t know what’s going on.

Checks to my right on Q8x two spade flop and he bets, I raise, Hit&Run check-3-bets, Huey folds, bettor calls, and I cap it.

Turn is a 9 and they both check-call.

River is a king and I hate it. KQ is squarely in both of their ranges and I’m planning to make a rather tight check back, but the second player bets and I call.

“Did I get there?” He asks, as he turns over KK. I give him the courtesy yes-you-fucking-suckout peak at my aces.

11:09 PM: Can’t seem to get any real momentum going. I lost with QQ to 76o but then I flopped a set of eights in a single-raised multi-way pot and got three streets of value.

I followed that up by raising with 88 and giving up on an AKx flop 3-ways and then folding JJ in a 3-bet multi-way pot on AQx.

My most recent confrontation saw me check-raising the Q94J board with J9 in a heads up pot and running into QQ.

Nothing too exciting, but lots of little annoyances.

As I was typing this up, there is a raise and two callers, so I call with A5 of spades from the small blind and five of us see a 882 one spade flop. It checks to Mighty Mouse in last position and he bets. My hand seems a little too good to fold here and I think I should maybe be check-raising here when I continue, but I opt to just call and see what happens.

Everyone else folds so when a 6 of hearts hits the turn, I lead out, representing slow played trips even though I’m probably never playing an 8 this way. Still, it gets the job done and I scoop the pot.

Not sure if that’s my best or most believable line, but it worked this time.

11:36 PM: I open JJ under the gun, Radio Mike calls, big blind raises, and I cap.

The flop comes down QJ9 all hearts. Big blind leads, I raise, Mike folds, and the big asks, “do you like that flop?” and raises me back. I just call.

Turn is the 3 or 4 of hearts and I call again.

The river is a black ten and he checks.

“Now you check?” I ask, “because that card came?”

I’m confused, and while I’m happy to see him check here, I’m not sure I should be betting. I check back and he shows a set of queens.

That makes sense.

What doesn’t make sense is that this same player beat my AA with KK, QQ with 76, and now oversets me… all within the last 90 minutes or so.

I’ve been wanting to give this player a name. He’s become a very consistent regular here and we are friendly. I’m still awaiting that stroke of genius though. I have a couple of ideas and I even have a favorite, but still waiting to see if I can think of something better.

12:42 AM: Alright, I got it. This player has his own nickname that has led to making his online screen names “dinosaur,” so I wanted to do something with that, while not just calling him Dinosaur myself.

And since I’ve been naming Korean players after famous cartoon ducks recently, I decided to go with a mixture:

Ducky from the Land Before Time – a dinosaur named Ducky. Seems fitting.

Well, Ducky and I have been clashing all night and I have more hands:

He opens from late position and I 3-bet the cutoff with A5 of spades. He calls.

Flop is JJ4 with two diamonds and a spade. I bet and he check-raises me. I think he has some creativity in his game so he doesn’t have to have me beat here and I have some backdoor potential anyway. I call.

The turn is an offsuit 3, enough added equity for me to call again.

The river double pairs the board and after making it this far, it seems silly to fold on this board texture, so I call Ducky’s third barrel and win against Q2 of diamonds.

Next time I’m in the small blind there are multiple limpers and Ducky raises on the button. I decide to speculate with K8 of clubs and six of us go to the flop for two bets.

The board comes 976 with one club and I end up having to call two bets again and at least four of us remain to the turn.

It’s a king. I lead out. I don’t want Ducky to check back with a hand like JJ or QQ and the other players are almost certainly behind me now and I don’t want them to get a free card either. Plus, my hand can stand a raise. The other guys fold, but Ducky does raise and I call.

River is a 5 and I donk out again. The double donk! Now he starts tanking and starts speculating on what exact two cards I have. He even says “King eight” and I tell him, “that makes a lot of sense, but I’m not going to show it to you unless you call.”

Amazingly, he does fold and I pitch my cards into the muck with authority.

Note: I will be quitting this session at 2 AM. I probably won’t post any more hands tonight but I will be back with a final score.

Final Score: +$685

I’m not sure what my plan is tomorrow. The Seahawks playoff game could affect the poker action and I’m actually somewhat interested in watching the game myself. I really don’t care about the Seahawks but I have a friend with a massive, life-changing bet on them reaching the Super Bowl and I certainly want to root it in for him.

Not sure when I will be blogging again as Marathon Monday might very well be dead, or at least revived as a different game or in a different location. I’m pretty sure I don’t want to marathon 8/16.

2018 results will be up soon!

I will be blogging today… at some point.

Game starts at 4 PM and I didn’t have time to write a preamble today, so it will be a work in progress as the game is starting.

Preamble: So Wednesday night was an insane night of pot limit Omaha. The game started very juicy with Hit&Run, Part-Time, Animal, and Big Baby all in attendance.

Animal is always fun to watch and on this day he was in special form. He felted on the first hand dealt. A short while later he had QQxx on Q33 vs Big Baby and lost to a 3 on the river and felted again. In the first 80 minutes of the game, he dusted $3680 and then he reloaded another $800.

Somehow he turned that last $800 into this:

He’s actually up for the night here after being stuck almost $4000 at one point. His night didn’t end here though. He eventually turned this into $300 left sitting in front of him after a pot played out… but he won that pot and he did end up cashing out around $2000 after having one of the biggest roller coaster sessions I’ve ever seen.

Plus he gave an all-time great quote, when being asked if he wanted to hold his seat after felting his third bullet (for $1680 total): “How can I leave a game where I’m losing $800 every ten minutes?”

Meanwhile, after he overlayed the entire table with $3700, I was sitting there with $200 more than I started with. Most of it went to Hit&Run and guess what he did with it? Took his happy ass out the front door.

There was so much bloodshed and carnage in this game, there were literally dead bodies everywhere. I couldn’t step anywhere without slipping on the skull of a fallen warrior.

And yet… none of these carcasses were left behind because of me. I basically just sat and watched from the sidelines all night in total awe… and quite a bit of jealousy.

Here’s a pot I wasn’t involved in:

That’s over $2k in the middle before the flop. Five players in for $405 each. Guy in seat four was super stoked when he was able to make it that much (with an obvious AA hand) and then he got called in four spots and I could actually see the moment when his soul left his body.

The Crypt Keeper ended up winning this monster with a solid QQ93 when he rivered a straight flush after getting the rest of his chips in on this flop.

I took some notes on hands I though I might talk about but there isn’t anything too interesting.

Here’s one: I limp along with 8752 single suited (because Animal limped) and five of us see the 987 two heart flop. I have bottom two pair, plus a worthless gutter and a bad flush draw. Altogether, it’s not good in a multi-way pot. But Animal leads out $25, so I call and then two players call behind me. Ugh.

The turn is a 4, which doesn’t change anything, and somehow it checks around.

The river is an offsuit deuce and Animal bets the pot for $130. Normally, I would just snap fold in this spot but both Hit&Run and Big Baby are showing their hands to their neighbors, totally telegraphing folds, so suddenly I’m in a heads up spot against someone that checked the turn with three opponents when the board texture didn’t change.

Twinkie is dealing and I say to him, “I don’t see how I can fold here,” nodding to the other two dingbats, “but I can’t even beat nine deuce.”

I make the call and… my hand is good!

I took a note on a hand where I was able to 4-bet to $140 pre with AAK9, but I got called in two spots and then check-folded on a T43 two tone flop that whiffed me. I took a note because winning hand was 9973 single suited (he made a flush). Also worth noting is that I was able to 4-bet this hand because the 9973 3-bet it.

Lock the doors! There were already four legit punters in the game and I was happy to see we had a fifth.

My biggest pot was when I had AKQT vs Animal on a board of QJ9Kx where I got either a pot-sized bet or $300 (the max bet) from him on every street after the flop.

I call a raise with AJJx single suited to the ace on the button – a hand worthy of 3-betting if 3-betting had any fold equity in this game (which it doesn’t) – and the flop is AKT. There’s a bet of $25 and a call. It’s all pretty weak and with two straight blockers in my hand I just go ahead and pot it.

It’s a pretty standard play, but this is not a standard spot because I know my image is pretty tarnished at the moment. I’ve been losing and I just got picked off for a $300 bluff on the river the hand right before this one. So I wasn’t sure it was going to get through even though it seemed like a super obvious spot.

It did get through though.

When it was all said and done, Billy Dubz smacked the shit out of this game even though he was the last player to get a seat. Here’s a look at his disgusting stack a short while before he took off:

Just a nice little $5000 sitting under the Christmas Tree in front of him.

As for myself, I finished +$174 and felt like I lost $2000. Stacks were seriously being handed out like candy on Halloween night and I wasn’t allowed to go trick or treating.

Yesterday we had to go to Sumner to sign the closing papers for our new house and since we were already halfway to Fortune that’s where we decided to play last night.

My session started off unexceptionally, but I eventually hit some hands and then I wasn’t missing much at all.

My night climaxed with this insane pot: there’s an early raise, a couple callers, and I 3-bet with JJ from the big blind and everyone calls.

Flop is KJ2 all diamonds and I get called in three spots after I bet.

The turn pairs the 2 and fireworks start exploding. I bet, next guy raise, and both other players cold call. I 3-bet and they all call.

Before the river, I’m sitting there thinking how I have the nuts in this monster pot and the only card I really don’t want to see is a king.

And then there it is. The king pairs on the river. Unreal. That leads me check and it checks to last position and he bets. We all pay off. He has a 2, player on my right has the nut flush and the other player has a 2 also. My hand is good and I win this monster!

I was pretty hot after that and only running AJ into 99 on A97Jx in my last orbit could keep me from reaching my wishful goal of making $2500 for the day. I had to settle for a +$2413, which is my best win at Fortune in 2018 and puts me within striking distance of reaching the black for the year there! I’m not sure I will play there again this year though, as we will be super busy with moving and celebrating the holidays for the rest of the year.

Starting Lineup: Radio Mike, decent reg, maniac, nitty reg, non-reg, bigger game reg, non-reg, and Shit Man.

Pretty light on names, but there are four players in this game that are regular (or special) enough that I should give them names. Maybe I will today.

There were 27 names on the list for a 4 PM start and after the dust has settled, we have a full game and NO list. 😂

7 of 9 starting the game are playing 25/50 Overs.

4:29 PM: First big clash: open under the gun for the third time (on Radio Mike’s big blind), this time with KQss. Maniac calls, button calls, Shit Man 3-bets small blind, and I cap because I like my hand multi-way and have position on the 3-bettor. Maniac calls, but the button folds for some reason, and three of us head to the flop.

Board is Q54 with two spades. Shit Man leads, I raise, maniac folds, and we get it capped heads up. I don’t think my queen is good here, but I have a big draw and I will check behind if I miss and he checks to me on the turn.

But I don’t miss. I pair the queen and he check-calls and then make the flush on the river and he calls again.

That steams him up nice and good, enough to ask for an Overs button and now whole table has them.

5:17 PM: Radio Mike opens late, I 3-bet AJdd from cutoff, the button calls, and Mike calls.

Flop is Q42 all diamonds. Radio Mike donks, I raise, and he calls. We are heads up.

The turn is a nice, action-killing 7 of diamonds. He checks, I bet, and he literally turns over QQ. I wish I snapped a pic of this bozo turning his hand face up and then calling.

The river is an 8 and he checks again. I tank for a bit, enjoying the moment, acting puzzled, and put a bet out. He still calls!

I just asked him if he would have bet if the river paired the board and he says, “of course.”

I reply, “that’s a dumb bet. I’m just going to fold worse hands and raise you with quads.”

I raise under the gun (for the 5th time in 7 rounds) with TT and only Shit Man calls from the small blind.

He check-raises me on the T42 flop and I call to raise the turn.

It’s an 8 and goes as expected, but with a patented Shit Man “shiiiiit, man” before he calls.

He pays off on river (with JJ) and spends the next five minutes mumbling curses while shooting me angry glances.

5:53 PM: Preamble is finished. Scroll back up and read it!

Blackjack wanted me to do him the favor of dropping a link to a vlog he did for his recent cruise through the Caribbean. Check it out in the link below:

Blackjack’s Caribbean Cruise on YouTube

6:52 PM: Okay, I guess I’m taking a little break after typing nonstop on my phone for 2+ hours when I first got here. Also, nothing too exciting has happened. I’ve opened and 3-bet a number of suited Broadway hands and whiffed or lost all of them.

We have lost a couple players from the game and filled those seats and now have a list of 5 waiting for seats.

7:19 PM: Alright.

I’m handing out some nicknames.

First up, we have two players that I play with quite regularly that I always refer to as “nitty regulars.” Actually there’s a third one that sometimes plays the 20/40 O8 at Muckleshoot but usually just plays 4/8 everywhere. They are all basically the same player, just folding most of the night and taking up space. They aren’t threatening. They aren’t dangerous. They are just there. In fact, they are so similar that their real names are exactly the same, except for the one vowel in it.

They are so indistinguishable as players I have decided to call them Huey, Dewey, Louie. It doesn’t matter which one is which. They are interchangeable so I will refer to each one however I feel like at the time.

There is one caveat here. Two of these triplets will drink on rare occasions and when that happens both of their games go haywire and they play a lot of hands and bluff too much. It doesn’t happen often but it is special when it does.

Second up, there are two regulars, one at Palace and one at Fortune, that I always see wearing a necklace with a large tooth dangling from it. I’m not sure what creature these teeth come from, but I have decided to call these guys Fang and Tusk of the Shark Tooth Mafia.

Fang will be the guy from Palace. He’s in 8/16 now and on the list for this game. He’s wild, loose, aggressive and sometimes hopelessly bluffy, but I’ve also seen him play pretty solid. Still, I usually think of him as a borderline maniac.

Tusk is the exact opposite. People actually make fun of him for being the ultimate nit. Maybe the nittiest of them all. He’s a 20/40 regular at Fortune.

Huey and Dewey are both in this 15/30 game and Fang is next up to take a recently vacated seat.

Lastly, and I’m adding this after submitting this last update and getting approval from Radio Mike, there is a fourth player (that I refer to as a decent reg) of the same ethnicity as Huey, Dewey, and Louie and while I was tempted to call him Scrooge McDuck, I have settled on their Uncle Donald instead, particularly because he sort of looks and sounds like Donald Duck.

Updated lineup: Radio Mike, Fang, semi-reg, Huey, Donald Duck, regular, Dewey, Shit Man

8:34 PM: Folds to me on button and I look down at 86 and raise. Fang calls from small blind and big defends also.

Flop is J85 with two diamonds and both players check-call me.

Turn pairs the 8 and now Fang check-raises me. Other guy mucks and I 3-bet it.

River is the 2 of diamonds and he check-calls with… 43 of diamonds.

Well done, Fang. Solid nickname debut. You didn’t let me down.

Ugh. I started off hot today, wondering if I might be in line for completing the Coast-to-Coast Challenge. Welp. It’s safe to say I’m not anymore. Stuck $500 all the sudden.

9:23 PM: More gross stuff. Open AQss, two callers, Donald Duck with position.

Flop is Q77 rainbow and he raises my flop bet. I call and we are heads up.

Turn is ten of clubs. Now it’s my turn to check and then raise. He calls.

River is another club. I bet and he snap-raises. This is a fold. Clear as day fold. He doesn’t have it in him to bluff-raise this river against my line. But I pay it off anyway and he shows the KQ of clubs.

9:42 PM: Huey opens under the gun and it folds to me with AQo on the button. This is actually pretty borderline. I think AQo is the worst hand I’d 3-bet in this spot and I would actually fold here some percentage of the time. But this time I 3-bet and he calls.

Flop is QTx and I call after he check-raises me. I am not planning to raise the turn in this instance.

Turn is a king and he checks to me. It would be super weird for him to check-raise this card, so I bet and I’m probably going to show down on river if he calls. He does.

River is a 9 and he checks to me and I’m sitting there laughing to myself because I don’t beat a fucking thing and check back. He shows QT suited and wins the pot.

I also had A6 suited vs A2 on AK723 and then had T9cc on AJ7cc9 vs Ax and couldn’t improve.

Definitely not running good right now.

10:52 PM: Open AQo, Donald Duck calls, and Fang 3-bets the small. I cap and both call.

Flop is AA3 with two hearts. Fang check-raises me and we cap it heads up.

Turn is the 7 of hearts and he leads out. He only has 1.5 big bets left, so I raise him and he calls.

River is the 5 of hearts. Both my cards are black. He bets his last $25 and I call. He shows AQ also, but his AQ has a heart.

The Gods are laughing at me.

12:26 AM: Welp. I think I’m about done here. I’m 8+ hours deep and all I’ve done is lose every hand for about the last seven hours.

My last fun hand: it’s raised and multi-way before the flop so I call with 98 of diamonds from the small blind and six or seven of us see the 883 two club flop.

I start with a check, Shit Man (the PFR bets), Puss-In-Boots raises next to act and clears the field to me, I raise, Shit Man folds and Puss caps it.

Turn is a blank and my lead gets raised again. I think this is a call here but I’ve seen him raise lighter in these spots and check behind on the river. He’s capable of still having a flush draw here. I decide to 3-bet but I’m not sure I love and I know I don’t when he caps it again.

I call down and lose to 33.

I recently reloaded another $1k but I’ve already played a full session and I’m not planning to dig deep into the night. This will be my last orbit, regardless of what happens.

Final Score: -$1323

I am not sure when I will be playing poker again. It looks like Wednesday from here. We are going to be super busy with the Christmas and New Year holidays plus moving into a new home on top of that.

Merry Christmas everyone!

It looks like the 15/30 game is alive and well on Fridays again. With the game scheduled to start at 4 PM, there are a staggering 26 names on the list! I don’t know what to make of that, but clearly having a scheduled game start makes it much easier to get something off the ground than trying to start it from scratch every day. On a day to day basis, it seems like we can’t get five people interested in a 15/30, so 26 is pretty mind-boggling to me. It will be interesting to see how much of that list is real. Even if a third of those names are flakes or no shows, that’s still enough players for two full games. I’m excited to see what happens, but I’m one of the first nine names, so I’ll be playing regardless.

Yesterday I was planning to play PLO at 6 PM, but I woke up at 7:45 AM for a dentist appointment after staying up late, traveled 2+ hours round trip to go to that appointment and made it back home a little after 4 PM.

I went to lay down for a bit and next thing I know I’m waking up at 5:45 and not going to make the game start. Plus, I wasn’t really feeling up to immediately jumping in a poker game after being asleep for almost two hours. With only 10 names on the list, I wasn’t sure the game was going to be too strong and I ended up not going at all.

In fact, while it did start, I saw on Bravo that it was dead by 9:30 PM.

Instead, I stayed home and organized my 500+ collection of DVD/Blu-Rays, transferring them from their cases and putting them into binders by category. My big grey recycling bin is now overflowing with empty DVD cases. The process saves a ton of space, but it was also quite soul-sapping. I must have thrown away over 90% of the bonus material discs I had. It feels wrong and I sort of want to keep them, but the reality is… I never watched any of that stuff anyway. It’s also pretty revolting to think that I’ve probably spent over $10,000 buying movies in my lifetime, especially when you consider how infrequently I watch most of them and how many of them will never be watched again for the rest of my life. I wouldn’t be surprised if that number is well over 25%, but when we have kids, maybe they will wind up watching all of them. I dunno.

Here’s how much space they took up before (plus at least four cabinet drawers):

Here’s how much space they take up now:

And here’s this picture, just because:

3:34 PM: I’m currently playing 4/8 while I wait for the 15/30 to start and I found this hand to be rather amusing:

There are multiple limpers, button raises, I call BB with ATdd, and limpers all call.

Flop is 766 with two diamonds. I decide to donk out because I feel this is the best way to get multiple bets in on the flop. I’m not looking to check-raise the button and possibly find myself heads up. It’s not the worst if that happens but I don’t think it’s the best either. I get called in a few spots, including the button.

Turn is the 2 of diamonds and this time my only customer is the button.

The river is a 7, double pairing the board, but that’s not a concern as we clearly still have the best hand and it looks like he’s going to call. So I bet and he does call, but then he turns over the 86 of spades. Say what?

The very next hand I get to the river for free from the small blind with A3 on J823A and a 92 year old 4/8 regular calls my bet and turns over 75 high.

I gave him his $8 back.

I will be back with a starting lineup and remaining list in about 25 minutes.

Starting Lineup: random, 8/16 reg, Part-Time, red chip reg I haven’t seen in a while, nitty reg, random, Chief Wiggum, and No Hair

There are four remaining names on the list and I think zero of them are here. Yikes.

I thought the list might have a lot of fat on it, but geez. Oh well, traffic should be good all night.

I give this starting lineup a C and that’s because there are two randoms in it.

On the plus side, 7 of 9 (not the randoms) now have 25/50 Overs buttons.

And one of the randoms just switched to 4/8 Omaha… because that’s what people do… sit in 15/30 for an orbit and drop to a 4/8 split pot game.

But Flea just walked in the door as the seat opened and he was first on the list as a call in.

I now give this game a B-.

4:25 PM: This random lady at my table just brought a partially smoked cigarette back inside with her. That is a crime against humanity. What kind of person does shit like that?

4:51 PM: Flea opens under the gun, Part-Time cold calls, and I defend 86cc from the big.

Flop is Q86 with two hearts and I decide to just check-call on this street and check-raise on most turn cards since Part-Time is still in also.

Turn is the 5 of hearts and I do check-raise when Part-Time quickly folds. Flea does his typical Hollywood shenanigans before eventually calling.

River is the 6 of hearts. Flea is definitely the kind of player that will raise me on the river with one card flushes so leading out has merit, but I decide to check-raise instead and wind up getting four big bets in on the river because, as mentioned, Flea is the kind of dude that would 3-bet here with worse way too often. He calls and I’m good and apparently I got “lucky” because it sounds like he has 55 here.

6:00 PM: Some random I don’t know just sat down but NoHair knows him and he is very excited about his presence.

6:06 PM: Defend my big with A6 of clubs in a 3-way pot and check-raise Part-Time and Flea on T63ccd and we wind up capping it 3-ways.

Turn is the 8 of diamonds and I go back into passive form, Part-Time also checks – which is weird since he bet and raised on the flop – and Flea bets. I call and now Part-Time check-raises. Geez. Do I need to explain how weird it is for us to cap the flop and then for him to try and check-raise the one player that was just calling? It’s crazy. Flea has just over three big bets to start this street so get gets it in there and that allows Part-Time to cap it.

Ouch. I have now put four big bets in on the turn.

No worries. 7 of clubs on the river and I get all of it. Flea had 97 of diamonds and Part-Time claims a set, which makes sense.

My first hand against the new player, I complete small after one limper with QTo and he raises the big blind and triple barrels on Q54J4 with A7dd which never had any sort of draw. I like him already.

6:27 PM: I open A9ss, the new guy 3s, button caps.

Flop is 962 with two hearts and one spade. New guy donks, button folds, and I’m loving the situation, but I just call.

Turn is another 9. Now I check-raise and he calls.

River is an offsuit 7 and he raises after I bet. Huh? I start tanking, wondering how I can ever just call here but I talk myself out of it and just call. He has the hand you’d expect him to have: 92 suited.

7:31 PM: Yikes. They are starting a second 15/30 game. Not really sure how I feel about that, but I didn’t bring an extra insulin pump for some reason and my current one is nearly expired so… I might need to drive home and grab one. A second game at least means I won’t have to wait forever if I wind up having to leave and get picked up.

8:05 PM: Frankenstein is in the game! And just as they start a second game, this table starts to crumble. We have lost three players since the other game started.

The maniac new player is still here but he’s been racked up for a while and looks like he could leave any second, especially if people keep departing this game.

I straddled on my button an orbit ago and in the interest of creating a livelier atmosphere. That investment only cost me $225 when I flopped a pair, turned a gutter, and bricked the river.

Fortunately, I flopped top two with AK in a 5-bet pot from my big blind and then I had JJ in a 5-bet pot from my small blind on a final board of Q54QJ, but I was pushing the action the whole way that hand and no one called me on the river.

8:29 PM: Jesus has been resurrected… with his first public poker appearance since the WSOP. He is not in my game yet – he’s in the feeder – but he is very anxious to get over here and do something dumb enough to get blogged about. I can’t wait!

9:06 PM: Frankenstein vs The Dark Knight:

I come back from a break and post, someone raises in front of me and I 3-bet with QTo because I want the button and blinds to fold, but Frankenstein calls from the small.

Flop is 955 and they both check-call. That’s not surprising so I’m planning to barrel off on a lot of turns but it’s a queen and I bet for value. Now Frankenstein check-raises me. Eww. I shouldn’t be good here but I have a hand I’m not really supposed to have and I’m unsure about it all, so I call down and he shows the QJ. So thin!

A few hands later, I open AA and he 3-bets me in position. I just call.

Flop is Q65 and I check-raise.

Turn is an ace and I’m pretty surprised when he raises me here. I raise back and he calls.

River pairs the board and he calls my bet again and flashes me the case ace.

The new manic and NoHair have left and been replaced by Mr. Plow and Mighty Mouse.

9:47 PM: You know you’re a special kind of sicko when you look down at the QTo in the big blind and it folds to the button and you’re hoping he raises because you just want to play poker. He does raise! His first open from the button tonight. I happily defend.

Flop is JTx and I check-raise. He calls, but it looks like he wanted to raise, so I’m on alert.

Turn is a great check-calling card anyway – a king – so that’s what I do.

River is an ace and I lead out and he says, “did you hit your only out again?”

He calls, I table, and he says, “yep, that was your only out. Stone cold dead again and you got your one out.”

I guess I still lose when a 9 comes? I don’t actually say anything when people start saying dumb stuff like this. I just let them vent and sit there quietly.

I guess this is the other hand I was drawing “stone dead” on:

I open JTdd, he defends big blind and then I barrel all three streets on K76d8d9.

Stone dead.

10:11 PM: I lead in a multi-way limped pot from small blind with 97 on Q86 rainbow and get raised in two spots. I call.

Turn is an offsuit 5 and I decide to lead out because I want Frankenstein to call before the other player raises with his super itchy trigger finger, but Big Frank folds and the other player just calls.

River is a jack. I lead, he raises, I snap-3-bet and he caps it. I groan audibly because I immediately see how likely it is for him to have the nuts here, as T9 flopped a double gut shot. I call and he does show me that hand.

10:25 PM: Folds to button again and he opens. I defend A3ss.

Flop is Q82 with one spade. We both check.

Turn is the jack of spades. I bet and he calls.

River is the 7 of diamonds. I bet… he tanks… he folds!

I was probably drawing stone dead there too.

11:15 PM: I am officially without an insulin pump. My blood sugar is currently 170. This should be interesting. At this point, if I go home, I’m not coming back.

12:10 AM: Finally a clash with Jesus. He opens utg, I 3-bet with KK, big blind calls, and so does Jesus.

Flop is 752 and Jesus check-raises me. Other guy folded and I flat to raise the turn.

It’s a 9. He 3-bets. Sigh.

River is a 7 and he still bets. So basically what he’s saying is: he has AA, he has quads, or he raised under the gun with 55 or 22… or he binked the turn. I call and he shows quad sevens.

I open A8hh and Mighty Mouse defends his big blind.

Flop is 642 rainbow and we both check.

Turn is an 8 and Mighty Mouse leads out saying, “I think I’m betting the best hand.” I’m not so convinced, but I just call.

River is an ace and he checks to me. I bet and he immediately raises me. Ouch. Okay, let’s think about this. This is a strong line, but my hand looks like one pair of aces (or a bluff) so if he has two pair, I think check-raising this river is a good line. I tank for a while but eventually conclude I’m still beating way too many hands. I 3-bet, he calls and I’m good.

12.40 AM: I decided to call it a night rather than let my blood sugar get out of control, even though there were still two full games running.

Final Score: +$713

Fortune 20/40 tomorrow.

I’m a little unsure what to expect today. The long holiday weekend might be an action killer. There are currently 4 names signed up for the straddle game starting in an hour and one of those names might be “Monday @ noon.” Also, there are always a couple of flakes on the list at the start of the day, so this is looking really bad right now. On the bright side, there is an 8/16 game going already, so heading to Palace at noon won’t be a total waste of my time. Hopefully we can get the red chip game off the ground by 2 PM. My hopes are not high for noon.

Last week wasn’t much of a poker week for me. Thursday we celebrated Thanksgiving with my side of the family and Saturday we celebrated with my wife’s side of the family. We didn’t play any poker on either of those days. Well, that’s not entirely true. There was an impromptu house game tournament on Saturday and I ended up chopping this 7-handed $20 buy-in heads up for +$30! Yesterday we had a medical appointment in Kirkland and then went to a Mayan Ruins themed Escape Room in Gig Harbor at 4 PM. We did not escape… and that brings my career record in escape rooms to 0 for 4. It’s pretty aggravating because I feel like I should be smart and clever enough to get out of these rooms on a regular basis and so far… none.

Friday I did play poker. If you read my last blog you know that I’m on fire and have a couple of cool streaks going. I have won eight sessions in a row and I have had a +$1000 upswing in eight sessions in a row. I managed to keep one of those streaks alive on Friday. I started my session off down $400 and I ended up peaking at over +$600. That qualifies as a +$1000 upswing in the session. Unfortunately, I followed that upswing with one of those nightmare sequences where it feels like I’m raising every other hand preflop but never winning a pot and never showing a hand. It’s the kind of thing that makes you look like a total maniac or someone on extra hard tilt. And yet, I’m just playing my normal game, while getting a very above average distribution of high quality starting hands and whiffing the flop or getting outdrawn with all of them. I didn’t even turn over a losing hand to save face. I just let the image ride. But I was tired, nearing reload status, and almost nine hours into my session, so I swallowed the loss and finished at -$282 and my winning streak ended at eight sessions.

I booked a trip to Los Angeles to play some events at the World Series of Poker Circuit stop at The Bicycle Casino during the first few weeks of December. I’ll be flying to L.A. next Monday and playing the $400 no limit Hold’em Monster Stack on Tuesday, the $400 H.O.R.S.E. on Wednesday, and the $400 limit Omaha 8/Better on Thursday. I thought the limit events were all one day, but they are actually two day events and I have a flight booked for Friday afternoon, so I’m actually unsure about the O8 tournament. I might just end up playing cash games on Thursday.

Hopping in the shower and heading to Palace shortly.

12:28 PM: I wasn’t sure the game would start on time, so even though it’s kind of weak, I’m happy to say cards are in the air already.

Starting lineup: new regular, Flea, Chief Wiggum, Rain Man, non-regular, Radio Mike

12:50 PM: First big clash: Flea straddles, Wiggum calls, I 3-bet AQ from big, Frankenstein 4-bets from UTG, and four of us call.

Flop is Q42 rainbow and I’m looking to check-raise Frankenstein but he checks back. Fortunately the first cold caller bets, Flea raises, Wiggum cold calls, and now I 3-bet. The non-reg and Flea call, but Wiggum caps it. Ugh. His line absolutely reeks of a set, but the pot is so massive now that we have to see a turn card.

The turn is a jack and Wiggum fires into the field. I think it’s reasonable to fold here since I am drawing dead a lot, but there’s one caveat: Wiggum is capable of showing up with some junky suited hands. It is possible he has Q4 or Q2 suited here, but I suspect he might play those hands differently on the flop, leading out with them or 3-betting initially rather than trying to keep everyone else in the pot.

I decided to call anyway and so did the two others still in.

River is a king and now when he fires out again I have a pretty simple fold, even with the size of the pot, because he’s never bluffing here and there’s just no way he’s playing worse than AQ this way. Someone else calls and he shows a set of 4s.

1:15 PM: Game is full with a list!

1:17 PM: Radio Mike 3-bets from the small blind and it folds to me in middle position. I look down at AA and make it 4-bets in my mind but for some reason I only put $30 in the pot (a call). That allows three players to call behind me for 3-bets. Maybe 4-betting doesn’t change anything, but this is definitely not ideal.

Flop is K75 with two spades, Mike leads out, I raise, and Frankenstein 3-bets. That clears the rest of the field and if Frankenstein has me beat here I’m just going to lose an extra big bet on the turn because I’m not about to let him free card play me. I cap it and they both call.

Turn is a blank and I get two callers, which means I almost certainly have the best hand.

River is an 8, which completes some funky draws and two pair hands, but I bet anyway and Mike calls. Looks like Big Frank was definitely planning to take a free card on the turn.

2:25 PM: Bulletproof is in the game. First time I’ve actually been able to use that name while I’m blogging. For further explanation, check out the Blog Nicknames page I’ve started. I’ve only done a few of them but Bulletproof is one of them.

3:16 PM: Part-Time continues to run obnoxiously good against me when he’s drawing basically dead. I have A6 of spades on the KQ5 all spade flop and he beats me with KJ.

I was thinking we might not survive the midday lull but Part-Time and Santa Claus have made us 8-handed.

3:29 PM: False alarm on Santa Claus. He sat down with $1000 then disappeared and his chips were removed before he came back.

One player is racking up now and that could make us 6-handed and a 6-handed game is not likely to survive the lull.

I got an email from Red Box saying that all rentals are $0.16 today so I guess if this game breaks I’m going to rent like 4 movies and see how many I can watch tonight.

3:48 PM: False alarm again. Santa Claus is here. The player that racked up did leave but we picked up another walk in so… 8-handed!

4:38 PM: I have to come clean about something. I made what I think might be the second worst fold of my poker career today.

But since you’ll probably be curious, here’s #1 first:

This was many, many years ago in a 4/8 game. It’s a 3-handed pot and after going all the bets on the flop, raising the turn and still getting re-raised, I decided to fold AA on a board of K777. Not only did I fold it, but I made sure everyone saw the genius lay down I was making.

They both had a king.

I can’t remember feeling more embarrassed at a poker table… but this next hand, from earlier today, comes pretty close:

It gets capped at least 5-ways pre and capped 4-ways on the JT7 rainbow flop. I have JJ.

Flea and I have been pushing the action on the flop so when the turn is an 8, Flea bets, gets called twice, and then a new aggressor check-raises the field, it’s fairly obvious that person has a straight, right?

Right???

So when the river is a 5, I decide to fold instead of overcall and put one more bet in this 32.5 big bet pot. I can be wrong 97% of the time and calling is still profitable… so what the fuck happened? I pitched my hand and the dude check-raising the turn wins with a set of tens.

It’s a nearly unforgivable mistake, but it’s Marathon Monday and I can’t afford to let myself tilt or quit so early in the day.

But Jesus. I can’t believe that actually happened. And I can barely believe I’m sharing it.

Actually, upon further thought, I think this was my worst fold ever. The 4/8 pot was less than $200. This pot was over $600. And it cost me $20 to call and take it.

Ughhhhhhhh

4:50 PM: 30 bets go in the middle preflop and I get the QTT flop while holding the KT of diamonds and it gets capped 5-ways.

The turn is a queen and, determined not to repeat previous mistakes, I call down and lose to Q2.

I am down less than $100. I feel like I am down $1200.

4:56 PM: I am down $6 actually. I took two full laps around the building and I’m going to pretend like I just got here.

5:49 PM: Running better. I call a punter down on 7227A with A6 and donk river vs JJ.

Then I get the K88 flop heads up with 83cc in the straddle and my opponent caps flop with me and still bets the turn, allowing me raise again, so that was nice.

6:00 PM: Santa Claus makes it 3-bets from the small blind, I 4-bet with JJ, Bulletproof calls on the button and Santa caps it.

Flop is AK7 and Santa checks so I bet because he can literally have anything here. That gets Bulletproof out and Santa calls.

I’m planning to show down now but the turn is a jack and he donks out. I raise it and he 3-bets. Ugh. I call and as I do that he says, “partner, if you got this one beat, I guess it’s not my night.”

I feel like he’s being genuine and that means he doesn’t have the nuts, so when the river bricks, I feel pretty good putting in another raise. He might have aces or kings but he’s much more likely to have AK.

He calls and shows 77.

6:16 PM: What a day this is. So Palace has a dumb promotion called the Happy Hour Hand where they draw two cards and put them up on the board and if you win a showdown with those exact two cards, you win the jackpot money. This promo is in play from 7am – 11am and 12am – 2am, plus 3pm – 6pm on non-High Hand days.

So today there is no High Hands and the Happy Hour Hand was $600 if you win with the 4 of hearts and the 2 of clubs. I don’t know how long this has been going on… maybe 18 months? I’ve never even been dealt the Happy Hour Hand… as far as I know. Usually it’s some garbage like the 42o and it’s not even on my radar.

I’ve been getting some 42o today so it’s been more relevant than usual and this time when I looked down at the 42o it was $30 to me and I looked back and, by God, I had the magic hand. I called $30 cold.

Okay, not really sure why I’m doing that. There are all kinds of garbage suited hands that can make straight flushes (for a $400 jackpot) that I fold routinely, even for one bet, so why am I calling here? I think I just got wrapped in the moment of actually having the hand and knowing about it.

So we go to the flop and it’s something like QT6 with two hearts. I’m debating how I can ever possibly continue here, but then it checks around.

The turn is the 2 of hearts. Flea bets, he gets called, and I raise because I want the other players with nothing invested to fold their weak one card flush draws. Flea and the other player both call.

The river is a heart! We have life! I have to win a showdown and everyone has to show their hands so I let them show in turn and the second player has a set of tens… with a heart in his hand. Dammit.

I told Joker and Radio Mike that I had the Happy Hour Hand and that’s when the topic of the current time is brought up. It’s 6:15. The promo ended at 6, so I just torched $70 with the 42o for absolutely no reason.

I guess that’s my fault somehow? The times are clearly posted, but so is the damn hand. If I look back and the hand is taken down, I just fold and move on with my life. I’m barely ever thinking about this promo, so I’m not paying attention to what time it is. I turn around, see I have the hand, and play it. I’m supposed to turn around and check the board and then check what time it is, all while letting no one know I have the bonus hand?

Fuck that and fuck this promotion.

I’m not really mad but it is a bit annoying that they didn’t take the hand down at 6.

6:39 PM: It’s not all that bad though. Just look at this hat The Joker is wearing:

If that doesn’t make you smile, I don’t know what will.

7:20 PM: Tormund chiming in from the sidelines:

8:41 PM: Game is super loose and juiced right now, with players calling $40 cold with monsters like 43o and A5o but showing down winners.

I got stuck in a seriously bloated pot where I had to call three bets cold on the turn with the nut flush draw… and bricked.

Then there was this gem: it’s raised and multi-way to me in button with 96o and I defend the straddle.

Flop is 976 with two hearts and one diamond. Flea is the PFR and leads out, I raise, Radio Mike cold calls, Flea raises back, and I cap it.

Turn is the 5 of diamonds and we both call again.

River is the 8 of hearts. It checks to me. I have no idea what’s going on here, but I’m not about to bluff at this and get scooped somehow so I check back.

Radio Mike has 96 of spades. Flea has A7 of diamonds. We all chop.

Sometimes you just have to get 4-bets in 3-ways with the A7dd on 976hh. 🤷🏻‍♂️

Joker, Radio Mike, and I are all stuck in this game somehow right now.

10:06 PM: Sometimes you just have to close your eyes and keep calling. I’m in the straddle with 87o and it’s 5-bets to me, so obviously I put in another $30.

Flop is T93 with two diamonds and I have to call a raise cold without a diamond in my hand.

Flea donked into Joker on the flop and donks again when the 8 of diamonds turns. Joker just calls and I call also. So does a 4th player.

That player donks on the 6 of club river and now Flea and Joker both fold, so I call and I LOVE my hand now. He immediately says, “you’re good” and I turn my straight over for the full pot.

1:08 AM: Almost forgot to post a wrap up. Not much going on of note the last few hours, for me at least. I dropped down to -$400 but recovered and finished with a…

Final Score: +$382

Not bad considering I folded the winner in a $600 pot when I was already down almost $500. That kind of thing can derail an entire session and I kept it together for a full 12+ hours.

I rented three movies on my way home so I guess that’s my plan for tomorrow. I’ll be back in action Wednesday and Thursday for some pot limit omaha.